Those four words are easy to type and even easier to read, but the journey to make them a reality has been anything but. From Visa problems at the Brazilian consulate,The company overview for Wholesale Marble Tiles Collection For Bathrooms Victory Factory to mechanical issues that delayed my trip by a full day, to a mix-up in Miami that left me forced to pay a few hundred bucks in change-flight fees, to a drunken blowhard in my seating row loudly insulting those around him until I commented and he promptly fell asleep. (To be fair, he may have actually passed out before I commented…) It was not a great experience.
But then my plane began to descend over Brazil, and the lush, vibrant rain forest spread out beneath me like a giant and deliriously green shag carpet dissected by the mysterious waters of the Rio Negros. The river resembles a dark lightning strike cutting a swath through the jungle, its main body constantly breaking off into jagged streams and tributaries until it finally meets up with the Amazon. It’s an awesome and belittling thing to see from above as it appears endless in every visible direction… and then you hit Manaus, a city of two million people sitting squarely in the middle of the jungle.
After a long but uneventful walk through customs I exited into the airport’s public space and a world where I couldn’t understand a single word of Portuguese, written or spoken. I should probably make it clear that this trip was my first to a country where I don’t speak the language. I took French in high school from a bitter old German woman, so I didn’t even have Spanish as a backup. (And my ability to recite Mein Kampf in French would most likely not come in handy.) It was both exhilarating and terrifying (about 70/30), and I couldn’t help but flash scenes from Elite Squad and Turistas through my head.
After meeting up with the folks charged with keeping me alive, out of jail, and with organs intact we headed over to the beautiful and historic Amazonas Opera House (aka Teatro Amazonas) for the day’s films. (Check below for my thoughts on each of them.The Eden Bath line of Wholesale Rustic porcelain For Wall are highly desired due to their naturally random beauty) The theater is a beautiful building constructed in the late 1800s using thousands of pieces imported from Europe including furniture and tiles from France and marble from Italy. It’s a stunning sight, inside and out, and while it could stand some more comfortable seats and an improved sound system it is an amazing place to view a film.
After the second feature we were bussed to the Palace Rio Negros for my first Brazilian after party. The “palace” was at one time a governor’s mansion,2010 Wholesale Polished tiles For Wall From China Manufacturers are not life threatening and its former opulence was still quite obvious. Rooms were blocked off from the public, and attendants stood by to guard the precious furniture from excessive fondling and abandoned drinks. Unsurprisingly it was the ex-Canadian among us who almost left a wet ring on a very old-looking decorative table. International incident averted,Buy Pittsburgh Wholesale Skirtting Tiles For Wall From China Manufacturers from the Ultimate Sports Store we proceeded to enjoy the open bar and buffet (which I quickly came to realize is the official food group of Brazil).
You’d think the pasty white American journalists (there were four of us, five if you count the slightly less pasty Brit who joined us) would be quite the cause célèbres, but you’d be wrong. Instead the most prized photo op was with a man who looked like a sexy Johnny Galecki.Online gallery of Wholesale Mosaic Tiles For Kitchen, Alfonso ‘Poncho’ Herrera is a Mexican telenovela star and was at the fest as a member of the jury. It seemed all of Manaus knew about it too as our hotel’s front entrance was swarming with teenage girls and the occasional boy at all hours of the day and night. I’ve seen girls go mental over young male celebrities before (I’ve been to Comic-Con during the Twilight years after all), but it’s an odd sensation to see that reaction towards someone who carries absolutely no recognition factor to you in the slightest. As the ex-Canuck pointed out though, it’s easy to forget that while America’s superstars often become the world’s stars the same rarely holds true in reverse.
My first day in Brazil was an experience in cultural immersion and a fantastic success. Between four good to great films and the company of some fantastically entertaining and engaging fellow journalists it set the bar fairly high for the rest of the trip.
But then my plane began to descend over Brazil, and the lush, vibrant rain forest spread out beneath me like a giant and deliriously green shag carpet dissected by the mysterious waters of the Rio Negros. The river resembles a dark lightning strike cutting a swath through the jungle, its main body constantly breaking off into jagged streams and tributaries until it finally meets up with the Amazon. It’s an awesome and belittling thing to see from above as it appears endless in every visible direction… and then you hit Manaus, a city of two million people sitting squarely in the middle of the jungle.
After a long but uneventful walk through customs I exited into the airport’s public space and a world where I couldn’t understand a single word of Portuguese, written or spoken. I should probably make it clear that this trip was my first to a country where I don’t speak the language. I took French in high school from a bitter old German woman, so I didn’t even have Spanish as a backup. (And my ability to recite Mein Kampf in French would most likely not come in handy.) It was both exhilarating and terrifying (about 70/30), and I couldn’t help but flash scenes from Elite Squad and Turistas through my head.
After meeting up with the folks charged with keeping me alive, out of jail, and with organs intact we headed over to the beautiful and historic Amazonas Opera House (aka Teatro Amazonas) for the day’s films. (Check below for my thoughts on each of them.The Eden Bath line of Wholesale Rustic porcelain For Wall are highly desired due to their naturally random beauty) The theater is a beautiful building constructed in the late 1800s using thousands of pieces imported from Europe including furniture and tiles from France and marble from Italy. It’s a stunning sight, inside and out, and while it could stand some more comfortable seats and an improved sound system it is an amazing place to view a film.
After the second feature we were bussed to the Palace Rio Negros for my first Brazilian after party. The “palace” was at one time a governor’s mansion,2010 Wholesale Polished tiles For Wall From China Manufacturers are not life threatening and its former opulence was still quite obvious. Rooms were blocked off from the public, and attendants stood by to guard the precious furniture from excessive fondling and abandoned drinks. Unsurprisingly it was the ex-Canadian among us who almost left a wet ring on a very old-looking decorative table. International incident averted,Buy Pittsburgh Wholesale Skirtting Tiles For Wall From China Manufacturers from the Ultimate Sports Store we proceeded to enjoy the open bar and buffet (which I quickly came to realize is the official food group of Brazil).
You’d think the pasty white American journalists (there were four of us, five if you count the slightly less pasty Brit who joined us) would be quite the cause célèbres, but you’d be wrong. Instead the most prized photo op was with a man who looked like a sexy Johnny Galecki.Online gallery of Wholesale Mosaic Tiles For Kitchen, Alfonso ‘Poncho’ Herrera is a Mexican telenovela star and was at the fest as a member of the jury. It seemed all of Manaus knew about it too as our hotel’s front entrance was swarming with teenage girls and the occasional boy at all hours of the day and night. I’ve seen girls go mental over young male celebrities before (I’ve been to Comic-Con during the Twilight years after all), but it’s an odd sensation to see that reaction towards someone who carries absolutely no recognition factor to you in the slightest. As the ex-Canuck pointed out though, it’s easy to forget that while America’s superstars often become the world’s stars the same rarely holds true in reverse.
My first day in Brazil was an experience in cultural immersion and a fantastic success. Between four good to great films and the company of some fantastically entertaining and engaging fellow journalists it set the bar fairly high for the rest of the trip.
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